Colombian President Gustavo Petro has revealed a new initiative aimed at decreasing coca planting in the Catatumbo region, a northeastern area plagued by rebel attacks. The plan involves incentivizing farmers to transition to legal crops while eradicating coca plantations.
President Petro announced during a cabinet meeting that the government's goal is to eliminate 25,000 hectares of coca within 140 days in Catatumbo. This move is part of a broader strategy to combat violence and weaken rebel groups profiting from the cocaine trade in the region, which is a significant cocaine producer in Colombia.
Under the plan, farmers in Catatumbo will voluntarily eradicate their coca crops and receive financial support from the government as they shift to cultivating legal crops. Additionally, the Colombian military will continue its operations against rebels in the region, while efforts will be made to improve infrastructure such as roads to facilitate the transportation of legal crops to markets.
President Petro emphasized the importance of farmers' voluntary decision to eradicate coca as a key factor in achieving peace in Colombia. The region of Catatumbo, home to around 400,000 people and bordering Venezuela, has recently experienced heightened conflict, with over 36,000 individuals displaced from their homes in January due to rebel attacks.
The National Liberation Army (ELN) carried out coordinated assaults in Catatumbo, resulting in the deaths of approximately 80 people. This prompted the Colombian government to suspend peace talks with the ELN and declare a 90-day emergency to address the situation and combat rebel activities in the area.
President Petro has accused the rebels of attempting to seize control of the region to dominate its coca crops and drug-trafficking routes. Despite efforts outlined in the 2016 peace agreement with the FARC rebel group to reduce coca cultivation, cocaine production in Colombia has been on the rise in recent years.
According to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, coca cultivation in Colombia increased by 10% in 2023, with potential cocaine production rising by 53% from the previous year. The void left by the FARC in rural areas has been filled by smaller armed groups engaging in the lucrative cocaine trade, posing challenges to anti-drug efforts in the country.
